Improved boot-jack



UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

HENRY N. DEGRAW, OF NEWBURG, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND HENRY WRIGHT.

IMPRovED BOOT-JACK.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,712, dated November 13, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, HENRY N. DEGRAW, of Newburg, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Boot-Jack; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being' had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side view of my invention; Fig. 2, a front view of the same, Fig. 3, an inverted plan of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a new and improved boot-jach of that class which are provided with movable or pivoted jaws; and it consists in a novel and improved manner of applying the jaws to the foot-piece and arranging certain parts therewith, whereby the jaws may by the pressure of one foot on the footpiece be made to grasp the heel of the boot on the other foot, so that said foot may be readily withdrawn therefrom.

A represents the footpiece, which may be constructed of wood, and of a form and size corresponding to the sole of a boot, and having a foot or support, B, attached to it at each side a short distance 1in front of the center of its length, and a support, O, attached to it at the center of its heel, the foot-piece, when rest-- ing on the three supports named, being slightly inclined from a horizontal plane, the front end or toc part being the most elevated, as shown clearly in Fig. l.

To the front end or toe part of the foot-piece there is secured a pendent frame, D, extending its whole width, and provided at its sides with ledges a a, between which a frame, E, is fitted and secured by screws b b, which pass through vertical oblong slots c c in the sides of the frame E into the frame D, as shown in Fig. 3, the lower end of the frame E resting on the iioor.'

This frame E is cast with or has two oblique or inclined bars,d d, upon its face side, in the form of a V,and to the under side of the footpiece A there are secured by pivots e e two jaws, F F, which extend forward or beyond the front end of the foot-piece and are curved, so as to receive the heel of the boot, as shown in Fig. 2. Between these jaws F F a spring,

G, of india-rubber or other suitable material, is fitted or placed, said spring having a tendency to keep the jaws F F distended or spread apart, so that the heelof the boot may be placed between them.

Each jaw F, just infront of the foot-piece A, has a pendant, H, the outer sides of which are curved, and said curved sides bear against the oblique or inclined bars d d, and have a tendency, underthe influence of the spring G, acting against the jaws F F, to keep the foot-piece A in the inclined position shown in Fig. l, and also to keep the jaws F distended or spread apart, to admit of the heel of the boot being placed between them.

The device is used by placing the heel of the boot from which the foot is to bewithdrawn between the outer curved parts of the jaws F F, and placing the other foot on the foot-piece A, and pressing upon the latter in a downward and forward direction, so as to force down the frame D and the foot or toe end of the foot piece A, and in consequence of the pendants H of the jaws bearing against the oblique or inclined bars d d of the frame E, the two jaws F F will be pressed toward each other and made to grasp rmly the heel of the boot, so that the foot can be readily drawn from it. On taking the foot from the foot-piece the spring G will distend the jaws F F, and the pressure of the pendants H against the inclined bars d d will force the front or toe end of the foot-piece A upward to its original position.

This device is extremely simple, and may be manufactured at a moderate cost. It operates in the most efficient manner, and has given great satisfaction to those who have used them, quite`a large number having been recently manufactured and sold.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The pendent frame D, firmly secured to the foot-rest A, to which spring-jaws F, provided with pendants H, are pivoted, operating with the slotted sliding frame E, with its inclined bars d, in the manner described, for the purpose specified.

HENRY N. DEGRAW.

Witnesses:

HENRY M. UONNELLY, ALBA l). SNHTH. 

